A manager would much rather have a player who cares too much over one who doesn’t care at all, but there is a certain line that cannot be crossed. Bryce Harper flirted with it on Sunday afternoon. After striking out on a Ricky Nolasco curveball in the fourth inning, Harper slammed his bat on home plate in frustration and snapped it in half. It startled Marlins catcher John Buck, who jumped back. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Harper apologized to Buck when he came back up to hit in the sixth.
“I saw it hit and that’s why I kind of jumped away,” Buck said. “He told me he was really sorry, it was terrible. I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it. I did the same thing, but when I was your age it was a metal bat and I was in high school.’ It’s a learning experience for him. He’s just having to do it in front of the eyes of the whole country and the world. I bet you he probably won’t do that any more.”
Nolasco, who shook his head when Harper broke the bat, did not seem pleased about the stunt after the game and offered “no comment.” At age 19, Harper certainly has plenty to learn. His passion for the game is what gives him such tremendous potential, but he should have learned his lesson earlier this year when he smashed a bat in the dugout and gashed his own eye open. As guys who break their finger punching doors and filet their hand open punching fire extinguishers can tell you, temper tantrums lead to injuries. Harper needs to find a way to channel his frustrations before he hurts himself again or — even worse — someone else.
H/T Big League Stew
